Wild Swan Theater Presents Musical A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Wild Swan Theater presents Charles Dickens' classic holiday story, A Christmas Carol, December 8th through December 11th at Towsley Auditorium, Washtenaw Community College. The company's version of A Christmas Carol has been especially created for family audiences by playwright Jeff Duncan. An original musical score composed by Tom Schnauber and set to lyrics by Duncan is performed by pianist BrIan Rose and trumpeter Pete Andrick. The production is directed by Lauren Mounsey, the 2016 Wilde Award winner for her direction of Wild Swan's production of Charlotte's Web.

A Christmas Carol tells the story of the amazing transformation of miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge (Jeff Duncan) after he is visited by three spirits on the night before Christmas. As the Ghost of Christmas Past (Wild Swan Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director Sandy Ryder) leads Scrooge on a midnight journey to people and events from his past, his eyes are opened to the human misery he has been ignoring and sometimes even causing, most especially in the family of his clerk, Bob Cratchit (Mike Morgan) and his son Tiny Tim (Levi Crow). Scrooge's change of heart and his dedication to helping those less fortunate is a happy ending one can savor at any time of the year, but most especially at this holiday season.

The story begins with Scrooge and his clerk Cratchit hard at work in Scrooge's cold, dark money-counting house. Scrooge's response to a visit from his nephew Fred (Jeremy Salvatori) with an invitation for Christmas dinner followed by a gentlewoman's (Rachel Costantino) request for a holiday donation give ample evidence of his stingy, bitter personality. A rousing musical finale to the first act interweaves a group of poor carolers singing at Scrooge's window while Scrooge musically berates an office full of visitors.

Casting includes Sarah Briggs as Scrooge's former fiancé, Ann. Carly Buchbinder is cast as Martha Cratchit; Wild Swan Company Manager Michelle Trame Lanzi appears as Mrs. Cratchit.

Children in the cast (Ava Brunner, Kayla Friedrich, Arnold Guikema, Peyton Pokerwinski, and Emilyn Shortridge) take the roles of the youngest Cratchit family members, pawn shop children and carolers. The costumes are by Suzanne Young and the set design is by Shana Burns. American Sign Language interpretation is provided by Erin Parrish and Michele Tocco.

Wild Swan Theater is dedicated to producing professional children's theater of the highest artistic quality and to making that theater accessible to low income, minority and disabled children through lowered ticket prices and innovative outreach programs. For more information about the company, its current season, touring programs and drama camps, visit the Wild Swan website at www.wildswantheater.org.

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